PEDALS INTRODUCTION

In this lesson we will look at positioning your
feet for pedal technique. There are certainly some techniques for
bass drum that will also work on the hihat pedal, but generally
hihat pedal technique is different than bass drum technique. If you
weren't already aware, drumming really keeps your hands (and legs)
full!

Let's start by having a look at the placement of the
foot on the bass drum pedal foot board. Generally you want to
position the ball of your foot 2/3rds up the pedal. This will give
you the best use of the spring in the pedal. Don't position your
foot all the way up the pedal, the way the shape of the pedal might
indicate. The hihat foot generally sits around the same, or slightly
further up the foot plate than the bass pedal.

Your right leg should be at a slightly larger
than 90 degree angle. If you are sitting too low, you may be at less
than 90 degrees; this is not good as it puts a big straight on your
knees. If the pedal feels sluggish, there are a few things you can
do.

1) You can adjust the distance the beater is
from the head with a drum key. Pulling it further back will give the
feel of the pedal more spring.

2) You can tighten the actual spring on the
side of the pedal. Make sure the nut at the bottom of the bass pedal
doesn't gradually loosen to the point of falling off over time. This
can happen if you use your pedal a lot. The last thing you want is
the spring exploding in the middle of a gig.

3) If you play a pedal with interchangeable
Cams, you can change Cams to a faster feeling Cam.